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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tear — from crying
  13. can — a tin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. club — a group
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. club — for golf
  19. can — a tin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. tear — to rip
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com